Duncan Denley of desert INK argues that landscape architects should focus on what’s below the ground when it comes to hosting large trees in our public realm I’d like to start on this topic by retelling a story which a friend recently passed on to me. Once upon a time, a small, happy tree growing in a forest was beloved by the humans settled there. The tree’s roots reached as far they liked into the moist, cool soil. As time went on, the humans’ paved over the soil and removed the tree. But the humans missed its bushy canopy and…

A sustainable architecture conference with speakers from around the world is taking place at Sofitel El Gezirah Hotel in Cairo on Sunday 13 March. Design, Build, Breathe aims to showcase the latest eco solutions and create a dialogue between government officials, architects, real estate developers, technology providers and academics in this field. The conference is the first annual integrated conference of its kind and will include interactive talks, panel discussions and workshops exploring all that is possible in the world of sustainable innovation highlighting green building, urban planning, and energy efficiency. Workshops: Workshop 1: Waste management – Research Institute…

1.5ha of solar panels will provide all the energy needs Water extracted from ground and used for the resort Waste water is treated on site and recycled for irrigation Zero-emission zone and on-site waste management The resort will also employ wildlife biologists and conservation staff Dubai-based Eco Resort Group has revealed what it calls the world’s greenest eco resort. The newly launched Oasis Eco Resort will be located in Liwa, in the southern region of UAE and is scheduled to open in 2020. The resort, featuring a spring at its heart, was designed by London-based Baharash Architecture and is one…

The world’s largest international vocational skills competition, WorldSkills is coming to Abu Dhabi in October 2017. The event has 1,200 entrants under the age of 24, competing under their national flags across a range of skills and vocations, one of which is landscape gardening. WorldSkills takes place every two years with the last one taking place in São Paulo, Brazil in August 2015. Aidan Jones, chief executive of WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017 said: “Every two years, countries gather with their teams of young people and compete to be the best carpenter, the best florist, the best car mechanic and they…

A unique glow in the dark paving system has seen an increase in demand following its success at the Gaia Awards 2015. Evaglow by Making Ground is a sustainable way of illuminating hard landscaped areas with no cabling or external power supply. Instead it uses the latest photo luminescent technology to get all of its energy directly from the sun. Luminous stones are incorporated into Making Ground’s Evabound resin bound paving system, absorbing ultra violet light during the day and emitting visible light at night. Approximately 30 minutes of UV light per day will generate eight to 12 hours of…

Hilton Worldwide is to open its first hotel in the UAE – complete with a rainforest and artificial beach. The Rosemont Hotel and Residents, designed by UAE based ZAS Architects, will consist of two 47-storey towers plus a five-storey podium. The first tower will house 280 serviced apartments while the second will consist of 450 luxury hotel rooms. The artificial beach and rainforest inspired landscape will be on the 7,000m2 recreation area on the roof of the podium linking the two towers. Other facilities will include a ‘sky pool’ and two ‘sky lobbies’ designed to give the impression of floating…

The UAE has launched an international prize for weather enhancement technology. The first grant of $5m was awarded to researchers from Germany, Japan and the UAE this month. The desert country is one of the world’s largest per capita consumers of water and yet it receives less than 100mm of rainfall every year, a severe limitation on its burgeoning landscaping industry. Over the next three years, Masataka Murakami of Nagoya University’s Institute for Space-Earth Environmental Research will lead a team deploying sensors and algorithms to identify clouds that are promising candidates for the seeding technique. Meanwhile, a German team led…

Energy self sufficiency is a must for greenhouses in the region to be environmentally friendly, say experts at Abu Dhabi’s Global Forum for Innovations in Agriculture (GFIA). The GFIA, held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre on 16-17 February, features more than 300 agricultural innovations that could shape the future of sustainable farming worldwide. Ruben Garcia, International Manager at Eltac-Hydrofarm said: “Currently, greenhouses’ installations use too much energy to operate their artificially-generated microclimates and only greenhouses with independent energy and water supply systems can offer sustainable, clean production units of vegetables. “Wind maps can indicate whether the wind power…

Ghaf trees (Prosopis cineraria) in Al Ain Municipality are to be pruned in an effort to improve the look of the city, the second largest in Abu Dhabi and home to Al Jahli Fort (above). The local community will be involved in the campaign, which is expected to take one month. The head of the maintenance division in the parks and recreation facilities division, Mohammad Al Yafei, said: “The campaign is launched annually, building on social responsibility and on its commitment to realise sustainable urban development, foster the quality of services provided to residents and the community. The campaign also…

The government of the UAE has issued a report on progress towards meeting the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). The ambitious targets were established at the UN in New York in September 2015 and include a resolution to end poverty and hunger everywhere by 2030 and promote peace, equality and universal access to education and healthcare driven by sustainable economic development. The State of Sustainability report drew attention to the UAE’s use of cutting edge technology to achieve the goals. The report was compiled in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority and Dubai…